No Promises in the Wind cover
CE Pick ✦

No Promises in the Wind

Featured Reading List Canonical Reading Popular Reading Enrichment & Readiness

Overview & Summary

During the Great Depression, fifteen-year-old Josh Grondowski runs away from his troubled Chicago home with his younger brother, riding the rails and scraping by through odd jobs and hardship across a country in economic collapse. Irene Hunt's novel captures the desperation and uncertainty of Depression-era America through the eyes of two boys forced into an adulthood they aren't ready for.

Available Formats

  • 🎧Audiobook
  • 📱Kindle
  • 📚Other Bindings
  • 📖Paperback

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Who This Book Is For

A great pick for Middle school students (Grades 6–8) studying History and Humanities. Helps students connect historical events with real human stories and broader perspectives.

Grade LevelMiddle (6-8)
Lexile ComplexityMiddle School (800L - 1100L)

Why CE Recommends This Book

Selected for Academic Enrichment & Readiness. Pushing slightly beyond standard classroom expectations, this title widens vocabulary, supports steady Lexile growth, and builds the academic rigor needed for advanced middle and high school courses.

Academic & Admissions Takeaways
Grade & Readiness: Aligned for Middle (6-8).
Lexile Complexity: Targeted for Middle School (800L - 1100L).
Subject Alignment: Enhances historical understanding and essay writing in English Literature, History.
Reading Goal: Lexile growth, classroom discussion readiness & essay depth.